Demi Lovato Sparks Backlash After Sharing Story About Hiring Prostitute To Grope Her Friend

Several Twitter users felt that the 'funniest prank' Lovato claimed to have pulled could be considered a form of sexual assault.

Several Twitter users felt that the 'funniest prank' Lovato claimed to have pulled could be considered a form of sexual assault.

Earlier on Sunday, Demi Lovato held court on Twitter, as fans asked her a series of questions covering various topics. Controversy, however, erupted when the “Sorry Not Sorry” singer responded to a simple question about pranks and practical jokes, as she was soon accused of pulling a prank that is tantamount to sexual assault and of trivializing the hot-button topic.

As related by Just Jared, the furor erupted when a fan asked her about the “funniest prank” she’s ever pulled, as the 25-year-old singer recalled an occasion where she pranked a male friend identified as Max by sending a prostitute to his Las Vegas hotel room. The friend’s identity was not elaborated on by Just Jared, but BuzzFeed wrote that the man was Lovato’s bodyguard at the time of the incident.

“I hired a lady of the night in Vegas and sent her to Max’s hotel room to surprise him. She walked into his room without permission and grabbed him in his ‘area’ and he freaked the f**k out hahahahaha.”

According to BuzzFeed, it wasn’t long before things escalated, as several of Demi Lovato’s Twitter followers accused her of pulling an offensive prank that could be considered a form of sexual assault. One fan said that Demi and the prostitute whom she claimed to have hired both committed harassment, while several others stressed that the prank is proof that it is possible for men to be victims of sexual assault. Social media users also accused Lovato of trivializing such acts as something that can be laughed at or made a joke about.

“Let me say it louder: ASSAULT IS ASSAULT!!!!!,” said one Twitter user.

“Statistics show you’re most likely to be assaulted by someone you know. I can’t even imagine hiring someone to do the worst thing you can do to another human being and claim it’s a prank? MEN CAN BE ASSAULTED TOO!!”

Lovato deleted the offending post following the uproar and issued the following statement on Twitter, apologizing for her previous tweet and asserting that she’s not the type who would take the topic of sexual abuse lightly. She encouraged fans to take note of the lyrics of her song, “Warrior,” in order for them to “have more compassion” for her in the light of what she felt was a “simple” mistake on social media.

“Of all people, I know about sexual abuse. You don’t have to educate me. So sorry if anyone was offended.”

Despite her attempts to apologize, Demi Lovato was still criticized on social media for another tweet she sent in the aftermath of the “funniest prank” response, where she said she could post “something about craving jelly beans” and still offend people. As noted by BuzzFeed, one Twitter user accused Demi of not thinking before she posted when she seemingly compared sexual assault to jelly beans.

As of this writing, neither Lovato nor her representatives have issued further comment on the matter.